A brand is an indispensable asset. It communicates quality, origin and tangible value. 

The most successful brands are instantly recognised by their ubiquitous logos and wordmarks. They flag products, services or organisations you can trust.

Look deeper and inevitably you discover an engaging story crafted in a way that’s relevant to key stakeholders and offers clear value to them. 

Branding to maximise success in multiple markets

Focus on what matters to more people

A successful multinational’s brand messaging and identity typically gets simpler over time even as the business gets more complicated. Their brands tend to assume a form that’s accepted by more people regardless of their background and beliefs.

Brands assume a form that’s accepted by more people regardless of their background and beliefs. 

Focus on what matters to your target audience. Transcend cultural boundaries by expressing your brand in a way that resonates with universal human desires. Create a brand experience that delivers intrinsic value. 

DJI for example does this really well. They are honest about their heritage. You’ll find their Shenzhen headquarters with a click from their USA website homepage. It’s not a focal point.

Apply this checklist when developing globally appealing brands

• Always adhere to strong core brand values, brand strategy, and brand design
• Keep things simple, which is both effective and supports economies of scale. Standardise as much as possible
• Lead with a positioning phrase (slogan, headline) that’s concise, compelling, creative and unique
• Non-original language typefaces are crafted for the wordmark  
• Have a website address that is a .com, or a short relevant domain
• Develop brand design system that’s modular and scalable across different languages that supports globalisation – allowing some flexibility for specific local market audiences 
• Consider any requests and concerns of your people in non-home markets 
• Sense-check any messaging and major design changes in new markets to avoid costly accidental cultural insensitivities   
• Develop brand guidelines and strictly enforce them – document the limits of local market flexibility in guidelines too

Successful global brands communicate in a consistent way that’s also flexible.

Develop a strong local digital presence

Tariffs mean you must compete in the local market with more than just price. Soft factors like cultural relevance, brand quality and local engagement add perceived value to your offering.

Test digital channels to understand their value in amplifying your commitment to the local market. Global fast food brands are a handy reference for this.

Rethinking your brands to attain a global standard may enhance the relevance and prestige of your business in any new setting. 

If necessary, reinvent your brand

One effect of deglobalisation is a trend for manufacturers to set up factories in their overseas markets rather than simply exporting to them. 

Considering the modest investment and potential value added, that might be a good opportunity to develop a new, more locally relevant brand.

Rethinking your brands to attain a global standard may enhance the relevance and prestige of your business in any new setting. 

If for some legacy reasons your brand lacks cross-culture appeal, and it’s unfeasible to develop it, a local acquisition may be the answer.

Acquire a local or defunct brand

Motorcycles excite the emotions more than most products – no one gets a tattoo of their favorite washing machine brand.

In the motorcycle industry, entrepreneurs have resurrected failed motorcycle brands. Norton, Triumph, Indian... all these brands (and tattoos) were revived, sometimes decades after the enterprises disappeared.

This suggests the world is full of once-successful trademarks ready for a refresh that could be acquired cheaply. 

Look into the past and you never know what trademark treasures you might find. 

You do need to check their heritage for past misdeeds or loss of trust. And retain an experienced IP legal professional before making a commitment.

Some successful brands manipulate their origin

The brand story may or may not focus on its origin in a particular geography. And when it comes to success, it may not matter.

For example, few know or care that the massive insurance company AIG (American International Group) actually launched in Shanghai.

And American brand Häagen-Dazs licked competitors by inventing a Scandinavian heritage.

Everyone knows your MINI is made by German BMW. But that doesn’t prevent millions of people from loving its Britishness. 

So in some cases origin can be less relevant in the big picture.

Effective branding creates certainty in an uncertain world

Your brand is an essential strategic asset, and represents value even as economic and political forces blow the winds of change. 

By balancing global brand consistency with localised adaptability, you can future-proof your market presence, sustain stakeholder trust and build long-term resilience in an increasingly fragmented world.

Globalisation is fragmenting markets but it won’t go away. A brand that expresses a sincere humanity can transcend borders.

Investing in your brand so it resonates across cultures and clearly expresses value gives you a better chance of emerging stronger in the new era.